COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State women’s basketball captain Cait Craft was named a candidate for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award, the organization announced Tuesday. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as a Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

Craft has been a mainstay for the Buckeyes on the court of the last three years. She has started each of the last 87 games in which she’s played and holds a career scoring average of nearly seven points per game. Craft is 12th in school history with 117 career three-pointers but it’s on the defensive end of the floor where she makes her mark. One of the best defenders on the team, she always seems to be in the right place at the right time. She ranks in the top-25 in school history in steals and last year, she led the team in charges drawn with 16, twice as much as anyone else on the team.

The Findlay, Ohio is one of the most recognizable players on the team for more of what she does off the court than on. Craft is the team’s face in the community. Whether it’s interacting with fans after games or helping young kids at post-game clinics, Craft’s enthusiasm attracts a crowd. Out in the community, she is a willing volunteer in more than just the team-related community service activities. One of her favorite programs is the 2nd and 7 Program, which brings athletes and young students in the community together. The program not only allows her to read with the students, but also affords her the opportunity to talk one-on-one with the kids and offer encouragement. Another big initiative the university has started is a program called Buckeyes Care. The program’s main mission is to make a difference in the Columbus community, and Craft is one of the leaders for the athletic department.

From the list of 30 candidates, 10 finalists will be chosen in February. Those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot which will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplify excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.